


In a world where nightmares are real

by CumberRachel



Series: Recovery is like falling, only backwards [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avengers Tower, Clint Is a Good Bro, Dreams and Nightmares, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, POV Steve Rogers, Panic Attacks, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Protective Jarvis, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Snarky Tony, Steve Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers Feels, Superfamily, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-03
Updated: 2015-03-03
Packaged: 2018-03-16 04:48:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3475031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CumberRachel/pseuds/CumberRachel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being woken from God awful dreams is not always what Captain America wants, the team barging in also fits in this catagory. It's a shame they all have a different idea.</p>
<p>Or: super fluffy avengers one shot before all the angst begins</p>
            </blockquote>





	In a world where nightmares are real

**Author's Note:**

> Finally surpassed 2000 words, and probably gradually increasing in length. I hope you're enjoying these as much as I like writing them. All errors are my own, also, any mistakes with American/English are because I'm English and may not have got the lingo right, feel free to pick me up on it :).
> 
> (Italics is Steve dreaming)

_"Hey! What d'you think you're doin'? Leave him alone! Why don't you find someone your own size to pick on!" The strong voice filtered past the ringing of Steve's ears, powerful and commanding. "Thank you." Steve told him, taking his offered hand and standing, brushing himself off and wincing at the sting of his cut lip. "I'm Bucky Barnes." The boy said, mop of brown tangles ruffling in the breeze, greeny-grey eyes examining him inch by inch, concern arched onto his features. "Well, James, but everyone calls me 'Bucky'..." He continued, holding out his hand to shake this time. Which Steve did, his ma had brought him up to be polite and proper. "Steve." He responded with a smile, this 'Bucky' had something to him..._

_"Hey Steve, go get the cards, I'll set up the cushions." Bucky called, leaving Steve to scurry off to his small room, searching through his bedside drawer for the used and tattered cards, secured together with a length of string. "Got them." He cried, triumphant, smiling gleefully at the arrangement of cushions and blankets on the floor. "I'm gonna teach you how to play poker, you have one hell'of'a pokerface Steve, we might as well put it to some use....."_

_"Shit, Stevie! What did I say? Stay indoors, out of the cold and wet." He chided softly, draping another blanket over Steve's frail body, trying to quell the shivers. "M'sorry, Buck, I wanted to see the fireworks." He explained, shortly followed by a bout of gasping coughs. "I know pal, but we have windows, you know how scared I get when you get ill. I never know how to help you." Bucky slid his hands under Steve's shoulders, lifting enough for him to slip underneath and rest Steve's head on his lap, sweeping his hair out of his eyes, still sparkling and bright as ever, even when sporting a fever._

_"Steve, why do you keep doing this? You know you won't get in!" This was a frequent argument recently, the third time Steve had applied and had been subsequently rejected. "Bucky, I have to try. Men are laying down their lives and I'm here, shovelling- not even that cause I have to stop to catch my breath every ten minutes." Bucky strode closer, from one side of their living room to right in front of him, grey eyes intense and fiery, but not at all angry. "That's exactly why you can't go Stevie. You'll have to be watched by the men constantly, and I don't want to be worrying about you more than I already do. Just- please Stevie, stop this." He said in a calmer voice, looking down with pleading eyes that he hoped would get through to Steve and make him see sense. He rested a hand on Steve's neck, a common feature of comfort between them._

_"I thought you were dead!" Steve cried, helping his best friend up off the table, seeing recognition in his eyes as he gazed up, not down. "I thought you were smaller."_

_"Bucky! C'mon Buck, wake up, you aren't there anymore! Please, wake up." Steve pleaded, shaking Bucky's shoulders with more force than he really ought to. "Hey cap? Everything alright?" Dum-dum asked, poking his head into the tent. "He won't wake up! He's having a nightmare and I can't wake him!!" Steve was on the verge of tears, the one person he could rely on and talk to was breaking beneath him. Suddenly a burst of movement gave Steve a burst of hope. Bucky clung to his biceps as if he was what was keeping him alive. "Steve?" He panted, trembling in his soldiers arms. "Yeah, Buck, it's okay, I'm here..." Steve mumbled, shooing Dum-dum away as he cradled Bucky in his arms._

_"Grab my hand!!!" Steve shouted in pure terror, Bucky reaching out to him, not enough, if Steve could swap places with him he would, he would be able to grab on to the metal wall and get enough grip to stay on. "NOOO!" His voice broke in a rough cry of agony, watching Bucky fall to his death, still reaching out for the only hope he knew, they were each others saviour and Steve had failed Bucky. Nothing could make up for that now..._

_"I gotta put her in the water." There was no other way out, it was himself or New York, Red Skull had been defeated, his mission was complete. He wasn't needed anymore, there was no one left for him to save. He'd already lost Bucky, he couldn't risk loosing more. "Steve please..."_

_Ice cold liquid was filling his lungs, stinging his eyes and immobilising his limbs, slowly shutting his body down while his heart pounded against his ribcage, lack of oxygen preventing him from calming his blind panic as he sank lower into the darkness._

* * *

 

"Cap! Hey cap? Steve buddy, wake up." Steve could hear someone calling out to him, pulling him out of the ocean, out of the dark and into the light. "Christ, he's fucking freezing, you got any heated blankets Tony?" Steve could hear how surprised Clint was, super soldier serum didn't always equate to warmth. "Sure, just keep trying to wake him." Tony ordered, his tone ever so slightly shaken, shifting off wherever he was sat and talking to Jarvis. "Steve, please buddy, we need you to wake up and get off of Natasha's lap, she looks like she's about to kill someone." This got Steve up pretty quickly, springing to his feet so fast that Clint fell backwards into his ass with a muffled grunt. Looking around he realised everyone had been watching him sleep, watching him dream. He wasn't sure why but that gave him a sense of unease, his skin prickling under the surface. Rubbing his eyes, Steve realised he was visibly shaking, and not just because he was cold, the ice always did this too him, he didn't often dream about it but when it reoccurred he always woke up cold as the water he drowned in. "Steven, we did not wish to alarm you, you appeared to be dreaming of something truly awful, we felt it fit to free you from those terrors." Thor explained, holding a hand out in a calming 'we mean no harm' gesture. Steve just swallowed, turning to look at each Avenger in quick succession, each of them as confused at the next. "I- er, um. Shit." He gasped out, back peddling until he bashed into Tony exiting the elevator, causing the mound of blankets fall to the floor, propelling himself back the extra few metres into the elevator itself. Once the doors closed and the lift began moving Steve sank to the ground, hugging his knees to his chest, realising for the second time that Jarvis had slowed the speed to allow him time to calm down. Even then the journey was too short, it took Steve a full ten minutes before he dragged himself out of the elevator and to his sofa, huddling up in the corner of the 'L' with his three quilts, wrapping them all round his body.

"Captain Rogers?" It only took 15 minutes before Jarvis poked his nonexistent nose in. "Mr Stark is threatening to allow the team full access to your floor if you do not return or 'prove that you haven't gone batshit insane.' As he put it." Steve glared at the ceiling, it doing little good as he heard the elevator whir into action, "I'm fine Jarvis. Look I even shed a layer." He spat, instantly regretting throwing the heaviest duvet off, slowly pulling it back over himself. Unfortunately for Steve, the whirring didn't stop until it returned to his floor, the doors opening and spilling all six other Avengers into his apartment, Tony leading the pack, followed closely by Sam and Natasha. The former sat on the coffee table directly in front of Steve, Sam leaning his elbows on the back of the sofa and Natasha perching behind his head, one hand resting on his tense shoulder, everyone else keeping some distance, Thor standing like a wall in front of the entrance, preventing him from fleeing like before.

"A little birdie told us that a certain Captain has slept no more than an hour a night for the last three weeks, has barely eaten or drunk; which for you, big man with four times the average metabolism, is not ideal. And has rarely moved from this spot..." Tony's words weren't meant to be harsh and Steve knew this but he couldn't help feeling frustrated and like he'd let the team down. "Jarvis can fuck of, and so can all of you." He borderline growled, earning a shocked look from the entire team, even Natasha. Naturally, Tony was the first to recover, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his closed fist. "Look, Steve, good Captain, oh great one. If there's anyone you should listen to about not wallowing in self pity, it's me. Been there, done that, even got the T-shirt." He glanced over at Natasha and Sam, not-so-subtly asking for help. Sam tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention, Steve turning his head ever so slightly, enough do Sam to know he was listening. "We can help, you know, there's no shame in asking for it either. We don't want you benched, especially if it can be easily solved. We can clear everyone out if you like? Just you and me? Or you and Natasha? Or, and God knows why you'd want to but you and Tony? Hell, you could have a heart to heart with the Hulk if you wanted. I would like to be there to see how that goes down though." That got a slight grin out of Steve, imagining the Hulk sat on the sofa next to him, large green hand tentatively reaching out and patting Steve's messy hair like a puppy. 

Steve realised that maybe he'd have more chance of finding Bucky if he had advanced tracking on his side, for that he would need someone who know how to work Tony's equipment. Nodding, he huddled the blanket closer to him, warming slightly when Natasha squeezed his shoulder. When people started to filter out, assuming Steve would only talk to Sam, Steve stood up, the mound of warmth going with him. "Stay." He said abruptly, swallowing and licking his lips before tying again. "I mean- please?" He asked, voice small and timid, nothing like a Captains should be. "You all deserve to know and you'll find out from each other anyway so you may as well hear it from me." He rambled in an attempt to explain, sitting back down and pulling his long legs under him.

Once everyone was gathered and settled: Sam to his right, Natasha to his left, Tony still in front like the nosy bastard he was. Clint was perched on the far arm, facing Natasha, Bruce had opted to take the single chair, leaning slightly forward to show he was paying attention, Thor decided the best place for him would be the floor, sitting by Bruce's legs, his own knees pulled up halfway, Mjolnir resting beneath them. It took Steve a while before he could talk, too many eyes on him, too much attention, which was ironic coming from Captain America. When he was finally able to, his voice lacked conviction, small tremors and stutters laced every few words. "I-I saw Bucky, he's here. In-in New York." He started, playing with a thread on the blanket that had been added to the collection. "We figured that much Spangles, there was a whole news article on if you were loosing your marbles." Steve, as well as the rest of the team, turned to frown at him disapprovingly, Steve more in confusion. "Apparently a unanimous decision had been made not to tell you that information. It is also apparent that this decision was not made while I was present." He genuinely looked as though he had been scalded by a parent so Steve let it go, not having the energy to argue. "I really saw him, I wasn't hallucinating." He said, answering everyone's unasked question. He began telling his story of the day Bucky ran, picking out the minute details, especially the way he had heard sparks, or crackles, or something of the like, just before Bucky's cry. Tony frowned at this, when the subject of the Winter Soldier came up he became equally distant and intrigued, his engineering brain unable to resist the advanced technology of the prosthetic arm. His human brain shying away with The Winter Soldiers involvement in his parents demise.

The team sat quietly while he spoke, occasionally asking questions to prompt him. "And that's it? You've been hiding away for three weeks since then?" Sam asked, not accusatory, simply wanting to understand the time frame. Steve nodded, legs stretched out in front of him, only one blanket remaining. He felt much better, tired but more relaxed, as though he could sleep more than an hour at a time. "Well then, what are we waiting for. Bird brains and Brucey, with me. Widow and Thundar, you bring Captain Stevo the all American hero up to the common floor. We're having a sleepover." Tony said, standing and rubbing his hands together at the prospect of a new challenge. "Jarvis! Once he's left, lock this floor to Mr frowney face over there." He began striding to Steve's bedroom, rummaging around and emerging with a large duffel, throwing it at Natasha. "Well c'mon then! Get moving. We have a rogue Howling Commando to find!"


End file.
